Why Infor CloudSuite Implementations Fail (And How to Prevent It)

The Reality of ERP Implementation Failure

After 26 years managing Infor implementations—from PwC to Infor Corporate to dozens of independent projects—I've seen virtually every way a CloudSuite project can go wrong. The statistics are sobering: industry research consistently shows that 50-75% of ERP implementations fail to meet their objectives.

The Top 5 Reasons Implementations Fail

1. Underestimating Organizational Change

Technology is only 30% of the challenge. The other 70% is people. Organizations consistently underestimate the cultural and behavioral changes required for a successful ERP implementation.

2. Poor Architecture Decisions

Architecture mistakes compound over time. A poor integration design or wrong middleware choice creates problems that persist for years and cost millions to fix.

3. Scope Creep

Without strong governance, projects expand endlessly. Every stakeholder has "just one more requirement," and before you know it, you're 6 months behind and 30% over budget.

4. Inadequate Testing

Cutting testing phases to meet deadlines is the most dangerous shortcut in ERP implementation. Integration testing and user acceptance testing cannot be compressed.

5. Wrong Team Composition

The bait-and-switch problem: senior consultants sell the project, junior staff deliver it. This mismatch between sold expertise and delivered capability is endemic in large consulting firms.

How to Prevent These Failures

Prevention starts with honest assessment and realistic planning. Every successful implementation I've led shares these characteristics: executive sponsorship, realistic timelines, proper architecture design, comprehensive testing, and genuine change management—not just a training schedule.

If you're planning a CloudSuite implementation or struggling with one in progress, let's discuss your situation.